colons: when and how to use them (grammatically, not anatomically)
TRANSCRIPT
Some examples of colons
“There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime, it was called” (Orwell 54).
“There are three superstates in 1984: Oceania, East Asia, and Eurasia.”
“The Party believes that controlling history is power: ‘He who controls the past, controls the future’” (Orwell 316).
When to use a colon
“There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime, it was called” (Orwell 54).
RULE 1: Use a colon to combine two independent sentences if the second sentence clarifies or explains the first sentence.
Colon vs. Semicolon
The colon has less power to separate than a semicolon:
a semicolon makes you stop for a second, while a colon tells your eyes to move on to the next sentence.
When to use colons
EX. “There are three superstates in 1984: Oceania, East Asia, and Eurasia.”
RULE 2: Use a colon before a list of items, (especially after the expressions as follows and the following).
When (not) to use colons
However, when using a colon to introduce a list, do not use the colon to separate a verb or preposition from its complements.
Just remember, you must have a complete sentence before the colon.
INCORRECT: “At the amusement park we rode: the tea cups, the ferris wheel, and the MindEraser.”
CORRECT: “At the amusement park we rode the tea cups, the ferris wheel, and the MindEraser.”
When (not) to use colons
However, when using a colon to introduce a list, do not use the colon to separate a verb or preposition from its complements.
Just remember, you must have a complete sentence before the colon.
INCORRECT: “Our family has lived in: California, Arizona, and Texas.”
CORRECT: “Our family has lived in California, Arizona, and Texas.”
When to use colons
EX. “The Party believes that controlling history is power: ‘He who controls the past, controls the future’” (Orwell 316).
RULE 3: Use a colon before quotes if the quote is introduced with a complete sentence
, and use them to introduce long, formal statements.
When to use Colons
• RULE 4: In time, use a colon between the hour and minute.
• 6:15 P.M.
• 8:30 tomorrow morning
When to Use Colons
• RULE 5: Between chapter and verse in Biblical references. Also, between volume and issue number.
• Psalms 8:9 (Biblical reference)
• The Week Magazine 11:541